Whispers of the Wind
by inepta
Summary: "And his presence spoke to her that he would help her fight the ghosts that chased her for her soul." Watch as he assists her in rebuilding her life, one step at a time. — AU, Danny/Sam as kids growing up - discontinued
1. Chapter 1 —– Lost

**Whispers of the Wind**

**By inepta**

**Summary:** "And his presence spoke to her that he would help her fight the ghosts that chased her for her soul." Watch as he assists her in rebuilding her life, one step at a time. - AU, Danny/Sam as kids growing up

**Rating:** T for implied violence

**Genre:** Hurt/Comfort/Romance

**Words: **2,042 (2,042 total)

**Pairings:** Danny/Sam

**General Notes: **This is an alternate universe (AU) set in the 1800s. There is no definite country. I apologize in advance for any historical or cultural inaccuracy. Historical accuracy is not particularly significant for this story because it has no direct effect on the plot.

**Warnings:** implied violence is present. Dark emotions are likely to appear in future chapters.

**Disclaimer:** Butch Hartman and Nickelodeon own the characters.

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**Chapter 1**

**Lost**

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She was cold and lonely. Her frozen and skinny calves couldn't bear her weight much longer. The small girl collapsed in the dirty snow, defeated and empty. She took in short gasps.

_No, Sam. You have to go further. You have nowhere to stay here, anyway._

The child choked back her tears and got on her bare knees and spider-like hands. Forward was the way to go. She used up her energy to stand up clumsily and to trudge further.

The scenes replayed in her head. The crashing of ornamental plates against the wooden floor. The gunshots and shrieks.

_No, Sam. Stop it. You're making it worse. Just... forget it._

The child was lost. In many contexts. She stood in the middle of the dim dirt road. The only source of light was the moon. _My only friend._

Sam tightened her raven colored scarf around her neck. She did not want to see the bruises.

She resumed walking and caught sight of a source of light in the distance. _Food. And warmth._

The frail figure increased her speed and ran as fast as her beaten legs could take her.

The source of light became larger. The pale-skinned young child winced as she stubbed her foot against a bump in the road. The girl collapsed as she was able to make out the color red oozing out of her sneaker. The tears flowed down her cheekbones silently as she sat in the middle of the road to examine the damage. It was merely a cut on her big toe that reopened. She held her shoe and continued to limp on one bare foot.

The source of light was a small house made of stone. It was nothing compared to her old home before it went down in shambles. It had a wooden front door and a shabby back door. The chimney was spewing out thin smoke. There were four windows, with one on each side. They were holes in the walls covered by what appeared to be tablecloths. A clothesline was present at the back of the house, along with a slumbering small dog chained to a pole.

Sam debated whether or not to examine the dwelling place. One side of her told her that it was very small, and she doubted that the dwellers could afford to offer her a scrap of leftovers. The other half told her that she would never find another place again, and she would be alone, like she's been for the past two days.

Sam felt nauseous. She wanted to faint. Her frail eight-year-old body told her to collapse, but her spirit instructed her to stay alive.

Sam found herself at the doorstep of the humble building but without the courage to feed off others.

She had no clue of what the time was, but she assumed it was late because all of the candles in the rooms appeared to be out. Except for one.

Sam walked towards the light like a moth and stood in front of the window.

A shadow shifted under the hovering candlelight, and Sam impulsively ducked and leaned against the wall of the stone house.

The dog sensed Sam's movement and stirred. He awoke angrily and barked deafeningly at the darkness.

Sam heard the figure in the room taking steps towards the window Sam was hiding under. Before she could do anything, the curtain was shifted as light poured towards the darkness.

The girl's childish impulse caused her to shift her head up to look at the figure at the window. She saw no one.

_That's scary. Maybe this place is haunted like in the books..._

She nervously shifted her head to its original position and gasped at the sight of a boy who looked around her age. He seemed to have transferred from his room to there very quickly. Like a ghost.

She was about to scream, but the boy easily foresaw this and clamped his hand over the girl's mouth to silence her.

"Hey, shush it! It's the middle of the night. Shouldn't you be sleeping in your house?"

Sam furrowed her eyebrows at the young boy in front of her. He was in his pajamas. They were white with a black "D" in the middle that had a pretty design and appeared to have been painted onto the shirt. His hair was just as black. Its color matched her hair, her coat, her gloves; her soul. It was messy and uneven, with tufts sticking out in every direction.

"Hey. You aren't answering my question. I'm not scary. I'm just a kid, like you." The boy stepped closer to the girl and gently took her hand and held it as if it were made of paper.

Sam remained silent and continued to gaze at the boy's deep ocean eyes with her unique amethyst ones. Her breathing was uneven, and her legs were wobbly from the amount of running she had done in such a short amount of time. In her hand that was not being held was her shoe, and her bare foot was slightly oozing blood.

"You're quiet. I like you. Your eyes look nice. Why do you have a shoe in your hand?" The boy looked at her bare foot and saw the cut on her toe. "Oh! You're bleeding. You're not going to die, are you?"

Sam finally got the courage to speak in a small, husky voice. "I haven't any answer to that."

* * *

"Thank you for tending to my wound."

"Stop talking funny. You talk like those fancy people from towns and cities. We're kids. Talk like me. Oh, and I have some crackers. Here. You look hungry."

Sam was putting on her sock and shoe again as she replied and accepted the food gracefully, and she munched on it as her spirit consequently returned to her pale countenance. She reached for the glass of water Danny had prepared for her as he went to retrieve bandages. "Okay... thank you. I never got to ask... What's your name?"

"I could say the same thing to you. What's your name? And then I'll tell you mine."

"My name is Samantha Manson. But I like to be called Sam."

"Hi, Sam. That's a boy's name. But that's okay because you're different. I'm Daniel Fenton. But call me Danny. What did you say your last name was?"

"Manson."

"Manson... Hm, I've heard that name before... Are you related to Lord Manson and Lady Manson? The ones with the big estate in the town seven miles from here?"

"Um, yeah... They're my parents. Or at least, they were."

"What do you mean, 'were?' Did you run away?"

Sam's heartbeat quickened. "Yes. Wait, no. Um... Yes and no..."

"I really don't understand you. So I'm not going to bother trying to get anything more out of you." Danny flopped onto the edge of his creaky bed. "Good night. I'm sleepy."

Sam was bewildered by the boy's behavior. "What? You're going to sleep?"

"Yeah, aren't you gonna?"

"No... I don't think I can. I have nowhere to stay."

"Oh, okay! Stay here then! You can meet my parents in the morning. They're going to love you! And my annoying older sister, Jazz, she's going to love a little sister! You can be a part of our family!"

"Wait, what? No! I just met you! Your family doesn't even know I'm here. What if they kick me out?"

"Well, at least you'll get food and a bath. And you can have some of Jazz's old clothes. We were planning to get rid of them anyway. You have nothing to worry about."

"This is a horrible idea... But I don't really have a choice, do I?"

"Nope. It's either you sleep on the cold ground outside and catch your death, or you stay here where it's warm, and you'll have friends. Oh, and can you blow out the candle when you're going to sleep?"

Sam expressed an exasperated look at the boy. How dare he! She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She was already eight years old.

Sam remained seated on the wooden stool and examined her surroundings. The room was a small one with a thin mattress on a worn-out bed stand. Next to it was a bureau with a small candle on its surface. The flames licked the air desperately, battling with the whispers of the wind and calling to the moon. The flame fought for its life, but it was just as defeated as the girl observing it intently, and the room darkened instantly, with only the gaze of the moon to comfort the girl's solitude.

The room suddenly became much more silent, and even though she didn't want to admit it, it scared her. The only sound she could hear was the slow and steady breathing of the boy on the bed. Occasionally, her stomach would grumble, but she stifled it so that she would not wake the boy across the small room.

Sam stood up a couple minutes after the entrance of the darkness and slowly unwrapped herself of her scarf and discarded her bloody and grimy coat. She decided that she did not want them. She was to have them washed so that the blood and dirt could fade into the current of the waters, along with the pain that lingered on the articles of clothing. She decided to give them to Danny's sister, Jazz. She placed them on the stool and remained standing, thinking of where she could sleep for she was in dire need of days' worth of sleep. Her eyes darted around the room, but found not even a sofa where she could lie on. Her heart jumped when she heard the boy speak.

"Hey, Sam? You can sleep on the bed with me. I have a bit of space. I'm still a bit small... But it's your choice. It's okay if you don't want to stay here with me."

Sam silently gazed at Danny's radiant, blue eyes that flickered under the moonlight, and she read kindness from his countenance. She immediately decided that she liked this person and that she wanted to know him more. Maybe she could even start a new life with him. Maybe she would even be able to confide in him about the recent events in her life that had brought her to where fate designed her to be at that moment. With him.

Sam finally spoke up. "Okay. I'll stay here. You're really nice. Thanks so much, Danny." She flashed the first grin in four days.

She discarded her shoes and timidly sat on the bed as it creaked under the innocent children's weight. Danny scooted to the side of the bed against the wall to provide her with maximum space and prompted her to lie down.

"I'm glad you're staying here, Sam. We can be really great friends! I can even show to you to my neighbor. His name is Tucker. He lives around two miles from here. His house is closest to mine. I don't have a lot of friends. He used to be my only friend, but you're my friend! That makes two! We'll have so much fun. We can play on the big swing in his house and play games together. I can already feel that you're going to be a great part of the family! I'm not very good at talking to people, but you make me feel really comfortable. Sam?"

Danny paused for a reply. He squinted and realized that her eyes were shut. He panicked for a moment because he thought that she might have died because her foot was cut, but he heard her steady breathing to confirm that she was merely asleep. Their knees were touching under the blanket, which Sam covered her entire body, notably her neck, with. Danny blinked and yawned slowly.

"Sweet dreams, Sam."

* * *

And his presence spoke to her that he would help her fight the ghosts that chased her for her soul. He was her family now. He was her strength.

To the readers of Campout Mania: I'm sorry to say that I have put that story on hiatus because of my busy schedule and stronger interest in this AU story.

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This is my first try at an AU fanfiction. Feedback, advice and ideas are greatly appreciated. Please leave a review to let me know your opinions on this story.

Please PM me if you know any beta readers for this story or would like to be a beta reader for this story. It would be truly appreciated. Thank you.

I'm sorry for the OOCness of Danny and Sam. It was intended for this chapter. I imagine Danny as being more extroverted at this age because he does not experience the insecurity that comes with being a teenager. I imagine Sam as being introverted and serious because of her childhood and the situation she is in. Don't worry, their original personalities will be shown in later chapters. If you allow me to continue this story. I really want to, but if you don't want me to, then I won't. Please include in your review if you would like for me to turn this into a full story.

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	2. Chapter 2 —– Numerology Drabble Set 1

**Words**: 3,272 (5,314 total)

**IMPORTANTE: PLEASE READ**

My thoughts are too messy to be put into a paragraph, so I decided to list all of my points down.

1) I omitted the "dark" theme that I was planning on making because it gave me a writer's block.

2) I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE LAW. JUST PRETEND THAT I MADE UP MY OWN LAWS IN THIS STORY.

3) Thank you for the reviews :) I didn't expect any since this is AU, so I'm quite surprised, really.

4) This is the first set of drabbles. There shall be more soon. 2 more sets at the most.

5) Please let me know which drabbles you would like me to turn into full oneshots. Just leave the number(s) in your review, and feel free to give suggestions as to what to put in them. If I don't get any, I can't continue this story!

6) This thing was _thirteen_ pages on word. I feel so productive. /gross sobbing

7) I edited this while listening to the music box version of the Legend of Korra Main Theme. Both Korra watchers and non-Korra watchers should listen to it. It would feel nice if you read this while listening to it because it fits. tinysaurus .tumblr post/26964982340/legend-of-korra-main-theme-music-box-version

Enjoy and leave a review :)

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**Chapter 1**

**Numerology (Drabble Set 1)**

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—–.*.—–

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**00**

They were outside in the snow, making snow angels next to each other in silence, enjoying each other's company.

"Danny?"

"Yes?"

"Now that I'm part of your family, does this mean that I'm your sister?"

He thought hard. "No."

"Why not?"

"I don't want you to be just my sister. Sisters are annoying; you're not annoying. You could be more than a sister."

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01

She had tripped in the woods and twisted her ankle.

"Sam! Are you okay?"

Tears trailed down her pink cheeks.

"I'll bring you home."

He picked her up bridal style, being careful with her ankle, and trekked home with looks of panic and worry glistening in his eyes as he gazed into the weary amethyst orbs.

Sam had stopped crying.

Softly, "Thank you, Danny."

**.**

**.**

**02**

She was confined to her bed until her ankle was fully healed.

He was at her side the whole time.

It was the dark night, and Danny slept on a mat on the floor next to Sam's bed.

"Danny, are you awake?"

"Yes."

She dipped her hand over the edge of her bed and gently took hold of Danny's.

He tightened the grip.

"Thank you, Danny."

"Thank you, as well."

**.**

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**03**

Her ankle was healed, and the family walked to Tucker's house.

"Hi, Tuck! This is Sam. She's the new member of the family."

"Nice to meet you, Sam! Come on, let's play so we can get to know each other more!"

She smiled at the boys and held their arms as they led the way.

**.**

**.**

**04**

Sam didn't like Tucker right away. He had teased her for being a vegetarian and for wearing too much black.

"Well, your hat is quite strange."

"It's a _beret_, not a hat! Don't you know the difference? I thought that you out of all people would know."

"A beret _is_ a hat. You're wrong."

Danny's eyebrows were turned to a worried expression with his mouth slightly open and with his eyes demonstrating a look of panic.

"Please! Don't fight. You're my best friends. That means you two have to be best friends also."

Sam simply crossed her arms and pouted, sealing her agreement.

**.**

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**05**

It was breakfast time, and the whole family was at the dining table. Mrs. Fenton brought her attention to Sam. "Samantha, there is a letter for you on the counter."

The ten-year-old's eyes shot up in surprise. "A letter? I never get letters."

She slowly swiped the folded parchment into her hands. She examined the letter and admired the wax before unsealing the letter. She unfolded the crispy material, and her eyes swiftly darted around the words written in a calligraphic, legible handwriting.

She looked up and softly stated, "I've just inherited a hundred and thousand pounds."

The clatter of steel against porcelain was all that was heard.

**.**

**.**

**06**

"...so the investigators weren't able to find her for _two years_! That's crazy! When they finally tracked her down to my father, they told her about her inheritance. They even allowed us to keep her as her guardians until any capable relatives could be contacted! Sam said that all of her immediate relatives are dead anyway."

Tucker's eyes widened. "Sam, what are you going to do with all that money?"

The girl sitting on the grass pondered with her elbow on her knee and her chin on her fist. "I have no idea." She shifted her gaze to the two boys in front of her. "A ten-year-old orphan doesn't have many choices with so much money."

Tucker's mind flicked open. "Then why don't you share it with someone?"

**.**

**.**

**07**

The inheritance of Sam was given to the Fenton family, who ensured that a portion of the wealth would be spent for Sam.

They could finally afford their own horse, more clothes, etc.

One thing that the money was used wisely for was Mr. Fenton's projects.

Sam was seated on a stool in his small workshop, where he toyed around with different tools to invent.

"Mr. Fenton, what is your profession?"

"I work for a scientist."

"What do you do for him, sir?"

He wiped his glistening sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief. "I'm one of his assistants. I hand him his tools when he demands so, and I fetch for him whatever he requires from a shop."

"Is the pay there adequate and fair, sir?"

The man did not want to answer. The girl lost interest and departed the room.

Mr. Fenton spent every day for several weeks trying to create his own new invention: a substance that could stick to anything with ease: some sort of "super-glue," as his son had coined it. It did not succeed after several months. He had finally given up. He was rinsing his perspiring face in the shower before he was summoned by his twelve-year-old daughter.

"Papa! Papa! My fingers are stuck together! Papa, come quickly!"

**.**

**.**

**08**

He noticed that she liked to read.

He caught her snatching one of Jazz's books several times. He did not tattle on her.

Her candle always went off very late at night. He assumed that she was reading a novel while Jazz was asleep.

It was daybreak, and Danny had risen early for his morning chores. He spotted a shadow at the window seat in his miniature living room. She was reading a book.

"Sam? What are you reading?"

The eleven-year-old jumped in her seat and slammed the book shut. "Nothing!"

"Is that one of Jazz's books? Again?"

"Are you accusing me of stealing one of your sister's books?"

"Yes."

"Then you are correct." The girl sauntered off back into her chambers and smirked at the boy before closing the door.

_...what?_

**.**

**.**

**09**

She noticed that he liked to rub the back of his neck. Every moment. Whether be it necessary or not, he had always scratched it while appearing very flustered.

When she was young, she thought that he had lice in his hair. As she grew older amongst the small group of people she socialized with frequently, she learned to understand others' personal body languages. Jazz bit her lips too much whenever she was bored. Mr. Fenton ate too much whenever he was sad. Mrs. Fenton always massaged her temples whenever Danny broke something in the house with his clumsiness.

When it came to Danny, she could not understand him. He always rubbed the back of his neck while speaking. It must have been the force of habit. He usually fumbled with his words like an idiot and abrading his skin below his head with his pale right arm.

"Danny?"

"Yes, Sam?"

"May I ask why you always scratch your neck like that?"

"Uh, no reason. Force of habit."

"Oh. Thank you."

"Why are you asking me this?"

"No particular reason. Only curiosity."

He blushed and rubbed his neck once again.

**.**

**.**

**10**

Jazmine Fenton was the master of people.

She had multifold acquaintances and friends from town. She travelled there often on horseback or by foot to socialize with friends.

Being around many people often turns you into a master of them. Jazz had analyzed all of their personas and perspectives of life; she was a proficient in the study of people, the most labyrinthine of characters in history, _his story_.

One case that bemused the thirteen-year-old was the case of her brother and Sam.

Sam was not his sister. Neither by blood nor by law.

That opened all opportunities in a budding relationship.

Their affection for each other had always been evident in the previous three years. When he accepted her into their home, when he tended for her injuries, whenever. His affection was something unwavering.

She appeared to try to hide this affection. It never worked. The way she smiled with him, the way she glanced at him, the way she talked with him, the way she laughed with him, the way she shuffled her feet with him. Even her father was not oblivious to this.

They were not in love. Eleven-year-olds could not be in love. They didn't even know what love was.

This kind of love would evolve, Jazz had concluded. After all, time was essential in everything.

**.**

**.**

**11**

Sam was having tea with Tucker while the Fentons were in a family reunion that Sam did not want to attend.

"Sam, why didn't you accompany the Fentons? You're part of their family, aren't you?"

She bit her bottom lip and contemplated. "I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm neither a sister nor a daughter. I'm just... there."

"Then why don't you become a sister and daughter to them?"

She raised her eyes. "I can't do that... to my parents... my grandmother..." She chuckled humorlessly. "Besides, that would just complicate things amongst us, wouldn't it?"

**.**

**.**

**12**

"Happy thirteenth birthday, Sam!"

A small celebration was in order for the special event.

The Fentons wanted to use their earnings from their little invention for a trip.

"Where would you like to go, Sam?"

After a number of hours, they had arrived.

She wore black.

She realized that there was more than one shade of black.

It had been five years. _Everything_ around her was black and dusty. The ruined building was rotten and shattered. Holes from bullets were visible _everywhere_. The furniture inside was stained. _This was her estate._

At the back of the house was her old garden. It was not damaged violently. The grass had disappeared, and all plants had withered and decomposed into lowly species of mold and bacteria. Just like everyone else.

She kneeled at the three gravestones in front of her. She did not cry.

**.**

**.**

**13**

Sam always wore black.

Her Gothic roots had been the primary reason for it. No one could change that.

Danny knew there was another reason. His natural curiosity as a human provoked him to discover just what that reason was.

He chose to do the first, steadfast, option: asking.

She only answered that she liked the color.

He asked why.

She said that it intrigued her.

He asked why.

She said that she was fond the darkness.

He was satisfied with this answer.

Truth was, she was still mourning.

But she would not show weakness to anyone. Especially him.

**.**

**.**

**14**

There were times when she doubted her choice in staying with the Fentons for so long.

She never enjoyed living off other people. She hated it to the core. Even if she donated a portion of her fortune to them, it still didn't feel right. She didn't want anyone to be treated as a charity case.

She frequently had thoughts about running away. These thoughts came back her for years. She always fought back. Except this time.

One day, she just... left. She just walked outside onto the road. No one would know. She looked as if she were only strolling around the area.

She ended up in a dingy restaurant in town. Very few people were there.

She walked around the room, observing her surroundings.

A young man who worked their walloped in her direction and bowed clumsily, appearing to be drunk.

"Excuse me, Miss, but could you be Miss Samantha Manson?"

She curtsied and smiled weakly at the man. "Yes, that is I."

"Oh, I've heard all about you! Your friend Miss Fenton speaks highly of you whenever she visits us. She says that you're the best thing that has ever happened to her family. That's quite sweet, I must say, but everything about her is sweet. She instructed us not to tell, but what's the harm in revealing some innocent information, right? She also..."

Sam was startled by these words of praise from the stranger who was babbling unendingly.

_She had always thought that Jazz liked her the least. Like she was stealing the role of a sister for Danny. She did not talk to her very often, even if they shared the same room. She thought that she detested her. Had no opinion of her._

She was wrong. Again. After all, people are quite deceiving characters.

She was home for dinner.

**.**

**.**

**15**

Danny was worried because he was not growing.

Sam had already reached her blooming stage. She was no longer just a girl.

Tucker had grown taller than Danny. This made Danny anxious. He was only a thin, pale, awkward young boy. He was already thirteen, but everyone at social gatherings in town had presumed he was around twelve or even eleven years of age.

He was pondering on this while lying down on the grassy field with Sam and Cujo, their English bulldog. Sam was bothered by his silence.

She turned her head to him, squinting her eyes as not to be blinded by the piercing light of the sun. "Danny, is everything alright?"

He jumped slightly at the sudden question and answered her. "Oh, I'm fine."

She glared at him humorously. "Danny, I know that something's on your mind. Tell me."

He remained silent and stared at her, waiting for a reaction.

She nudged his shoulder with his fist and sat up to hug her knees to her chest. "Danny."

"Sam."

She rolled her eyes and sighed.

The two remained silent for five minutes until Danny spoke up.

"Sam, how old do I look?"

"What are you talking about? You're thirteen."

"No, how old do I _look_?"

"Like I said. Thirteen. Why?"

He rolled onto his stomach and lay parallel to Sam. "I look too young. I look like I'm twelve."

She smiled with confusion at him. "Psh, no. You look your age."

"Then why do I look so wimpy? It bothers me _so_ much. Even you're taller than me."

The girl smiled sillily at him and wrapped his head in a hug. "Danny. You just have to wait, okay? You are not a wimp. You're the bravest, funniest, coolest guy I know. And don't let anyone make you think otherwise." She looked at him and flashed a beam. "Okay?"

**.**

**.**

**16**

The Fenton family attended a public ball in the nearby town that they frequently visited. Sam joined them.

Danny was in a very simple yet flattering outfit; Sam had to admit that she blushed when she saw him in that outfit.

At the party, there were numerous families of different kinds and sizes. Sam was seated with Jazz, drinking beverages when they spotted Danny dancing with a Latina girl who appeared to be around a year or two older than Danny and Sam.

He arrived at their table after conversing with the girl.

Sam immediately asked, "Who was that?"

"Who? The girl? She's Paulina Sanchez. Her family lives in the large estate nearby. Isn't she a beauty?"

Sam did not know what emotions were boiling in herself. All she knew was that they were not good.

**.**

**.**

**17**

Danny had been going to town more often since the ball. This left Sam alone almost every day.

She was swinging in a hammock by herself when she heard the shuffling of feet. She sat up and yelled, "Danny?"

He appeared in front of her, looking defeated.

"Danny, what's wrong?"

He sat next to her on the hammock. "Paulina rejected me for another suitor."

Sam felt a mix of emotions in herself. Delight that Paulina was not available and pity for Danny, who was miserable.

She wrapped him in one of her signature hugs exclusive for him and him only. "It's okay, Danny. There are plenty of girls out there who would love you. You're still fourteen. You have plenty of time."

He hugged back and muttered, "You think so?"

She smiled at the ground, somewhat sorrowfully. "Yes."

**.**

**.**

**18**

Danny, Sam, and Jazz were browsing the different shops in town in winter. Danny had been able to collect a sufficient amount of money to buy whatever he wished to buy.

They landed in a jewelry shop, where Jazz and Sam looked around while Danny simply stood and waited.

He eventually became tired of waiting, so he walked around to browse as well. His eye caught a pair of earrings. They were dangle earrings that were a bright green and reflected light with ease. He finally found something to use his money for.

"I'd like to buy this pair, please."

When they arrived home, Danny showed the earrings to Sam. He rubbed the back of his neck and stuttered.

"Sam, I, err, bought this for you at the jewelry store a while ago. I thought that it would, err, look good on you."

She saw the earrings. She knew immediately that they wouldn't match with her or any of her frocks and dresses. That didn't matter.

She smiled shyly after a few seconds and received the earrings. "Thank you, Danny."

She wore them for a week without removing them once.

**.**

**.**

**19**

He danced with her twice at the next ball.

He saw her alone at the table, so he sat with her.

"Are you bored _already_?"

She looked up at him. "Perhaps. I've never been very fond of social gatherings anyway. How about you? Still pursuing Valerie? Are you planning on dancing the next two sets?"

He smiled inwardly. "Only if you want to. If you don't, I suppose I won't have a partner. Valerie has never been my type, anyway."

She stared with a slightly open mouth at him to process what he had just said. She stumbled upon her words for the first time. "I-I, err, I think that you're asking me to join you for the next two sets? Wow, err, of course, Danny!" She ended her statement with a nervous grin.

He offered his hand timidly to her, and she shyly accepted it, trying to stifle a blush.

It was the best dance in Sam's fourteen years of existence so far.

**.**

**.**

**20**

The two teens were lying down on a mat together under the shade of a tree in silence with light scattered around them unevenly. They did this every year on the same day.

Sam had grown to be a beautiful young woman. Her straight, dark, thick hair was what other women would die for. It rested on her shoulders and framed her face perfectly. Her skin was not flawless, but it was still beautiful. The little scars from scratches on her face were one of Danny's favorite features of her skin. Her complexion was majestic white with just the right amount of color in it to put life into her eyes. Oh, those eyes. Only a handful of chosen people in the world could be blessed with such a unique eye color. Not even Paulina had purple eyes. No, purple would not match her. Purple matched _Sam_ perfectly, and her eyes twinkled with whatever emotion she carried. She had dark eye bags that outlined those eyes, but they did not mar her appearance completely. Every part of her to him was perfect, and she was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

He had fallen. He had fallen hard. He had fallen in love with his best friend. He could not pinpoint the moment when it started. It was just a gradual thing. Something about her drew him to her. And he intended to act on it.

He placed his hand on hers. Gently. He did not want to startle her. She responded by shifting her hand to intertwine her fingers with his. She turned her head to him and smiled.

"Happy birthday, Danny."

* * *

.

.

—–.*.—–


End file.
